Re: [Python-Dev] (libffi) Re: Copyright issue

["Martin v. Löwis" <martin at v dot loewis dot de>]

Bill Northcott wrote:
> Quite so, but using the autotools does NOT include any GPL code in  the
> resulting program.

Hmm. Please take a look at

http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/*checkout*/ctypes/ctypes/source/gcc/libffi/aclocal.m4?rev=1.1.4.1

This file contains a large number of licensing text blocks, many of
which read

# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
# any later version.

So it seems to me that this specific generated aclocal.m4 *does*
include GPL code.

> So this does not apply.  All that is needed  is to
> include in the source distribution a copy of GPL, note that GPL  applies
> to some files in the sources and ensure that copyright  notices at the
> heads of GPL files are intact.

If nothing in the generated files is licensed under the terms of the
GPL, why would it be necessary to include a copy of the GPL?

> The compiler needs specific exemptions because parts of the GPLed 
> runtime libraries are included in all compiled code.  No part of the 
> autotools ends up in the finished code.  If it did, you would need m4 
> to run Python and you don't.

It doesn't matter whether it ends up in the finished code: if the
aclocal.m4 is indeed GPL-licensed, then the entire Python source
distribution must be GPL-licensed, because it "contains or
is derived from the Program or any part thereof".

Regards,
Martin